CN112534380B - Input device, control method and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The input device has an operation part; an actuator that imparts a haptic effect to the operation section; and a control unit that supplies a control signal to the actuator, the control signal causing the operation unit to start first vibration at a first timing and causing the operation unit to start second vibration at a second timing after the first timing, thereby causing the operation unit to perform superimposed vibration obtained by superimposing the first vibration and the second vibration. The control unit changes the control time between the first timing and the second timing to two or more types, thereby changing the superimposed vibration to two or more types.

Description

Input device, control method and storage medium

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an input device, a control method, and a storage medium.

Background technique

In recent years, input devices such as touch panels that can perform input operations by touching the operation surface have become popular. When operating such an input device, the operator cannot get the same operation tactile feeling as when operating a switch device, a variable resistor, etc. Therefore, an input device is proposed that can provide vibration feedback that simulates the operation tactile feeling by applying vibration to the operation surface when being operated.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tactile feedback device that vibrates an operation surface based on a plurality of waveform patterns to thereby apply pressure to an operating finger.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-129916

Summary of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, the tactile sense that can be presented by the tactile sense presentation device described in Patent Document 1 is limited to one type.

The present disclosure aims to provide an input device, a control method and a storage medium capable of providing multiple tactile sensations.

Solutions to Solve Problems

According to the present disclosure, an input device includes: an operating unit; an actuator that imparts a tactile effect to the operating unit; and a control unit that supplies a control signal to the actuator, wherein the control signal causes the operating unit to start a first vibration at a first timing and causes the operating unit to start a second vibration at a second timing after the first timing, thereby causing the operating unit to perform a superimposed vibration obtained by superimposing the first vibration and the second vibration. The control unit changes the superimposed vibration to two or more types by changing the control time between the first timing and the second timing to two or more types.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present disclosure, various tactile sensations can be presented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a reference example of an input device.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing a first example of the operation of the input device.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing a second example of the operation of the input device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing vibration characteristics of a touch switch (part 1).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing vibration characteristics of a touch switch (part 2).

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of the input device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the structure of the input device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the input device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an arbitrary XYZ coordinate system.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship in the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the applied load and the displacement in the Z-axis direction.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a positional relationship in an example of a load determination method.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing linear interpolation in an example of a load determination method.

FIG14 is a diagram showing the structure of a signal processing device.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an overview of processing performed by the signal processing device.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the inclination of the movable base.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing details of processing performed by the signal processing device during haptic feedback.

Detailed ways

The inventors of the present invention have conducted in-depth research to reproduce the operational sense of various touch switches using one input device. As a result, it is clear that the operational sense when the touch switch is operated depends on the vibration time of the cycle with the maximum vibration force in the vibration emitted by the touch switch (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "maximum vibration cycle"). Therefore, by appropriately controlling the vibration time of the maximum vibration cycle of the vibration given to the operator, the operational sense of various touch switches can be reproduced.

On the other hand, in an input device including a spring-mass system, the spring-mass system vibrates at a natural resonance frequency. Therefore, it is not easy to control the vibration time of the maximum vibration period.

Here, the vibration of the input device will be described with reference to a reference example.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a reference example of an input device. Fig. 2 is a timing chart showing a first example of operation of the input device. Fig. 3 is a timing chart showing a second example of operation of the input device.

As shown in FIG1 , in the input device 10 of the reference example, a movable portion 11 driven by a piezoelectric actuator 12 is supported by an elastic support portion 13 in a rigid housing 14. For example, the movable portion 11 includes a touch panel and a decorative panel. The movable portion 11 and the elastic support portion 13 constitute a spring-mass system. In addition, a voltage that rises at time t11 and falls at time t12 is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 12 as a control signal.

As shown in FIG. 2 , when the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator 12 increases (at time t11), the movable part 11 is driven by the piezoelectric actuator 12 to move from the position p0 in the initial state to the position p1, and starts the first vibration v1 with the position p1 as the neutral position. The frequency of the first vibration v1 is the resonant frequency f0 of the spring-mass system obtained from the spring constant of the elastic support part 13 and the mass of the movable part 11. The first vibration v1 gradually weakens with the passage of time.

Thereafter, when the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator 12 decreases (time t12), the movable part 11 moves from the position p1 to the position p0 and starts the second vibration v2 with the position p0 as the neutral position. The frequency of the second vibration v2 is also the resonance frequency f0 and gradually weakens with the passage of time.

As shown in FIG. 2 , when the time from the start to the convergence of the first vibration v1 is longer than the time Δt10 between the time t11 and the time t12 , the first vibration v1 and the second vibration v2 become independent vibrations with respect to each other.

On the other hand, when the time from the start to the convergence of the first vibration v1 is shorter than the time Δt10, the second vibration v2 interferes with the first vibration v1, and after the moment t12, the vibration of the movable part 11 becomes the vibration obtained by superimposing the first vibration v1 and the second vibration v2 (superimposed vibration). It should be noted that the "superimposed vibration" in the present disclosure includes not only the superimposed vibration after the start of the second vibration v2, but also the vibration obtained by superimposing the second vibration v2 of zero magnitude on the first vibration v1 before the start of the second vibration v2. Therefore, the vibration between the moment t11 before the start of the second vibration v2 and the moment t12 is part of the superimposed vibration. In addition, the vibrations of the first vibration v1 and the second vibration v2 shown in Figure 2, which are independent of each other, are also part of the superimposed vibration.

Moreover, in particular, as shown in Fig. 3, when the time Δt10 is less than 1/2 of the period of the first vibration v1, the initial period of the superimposed vibration v12 is shorter than the period of the first vibration v1. This means that by controlling the time Δt10, the vibration time Δt20 of the initial period of the superimposed vibration v12 can be adjusted, thereby reproducing the operational feel of various touch switches.

For example, four types of touch switches for reproducing the operational feeling respectively display the vibration characteristics shown in Figures 4 and 5. The vibration time of the maximum vibration cycle of the touch switch SW1 shown in Figure 4 (a) is Δt1, the vibration time of the maximum vibration cycle of the touch switch SW2 shown in Figure 4 (b) is Δt2, the vibration time of the maximum vibration cycle of the touch switch SW3 shown in Figure 5 (a) is Δt3, and the vibration time of the maximum vibration cycle of the touch switch SW4 shown in Figure 5 (b) is Δt4.

In order to reproduce the operational feel of the above four touch switches SW1 to SW4, it is sufficient to control the time Δt10 in the piezoelectric actuator 12. That is, by controlling the time Δt10 so that the vibration time Δt20 of the first cycle of the superimposed vibration v12 is the same as the vibration time Δt1 to Δt4, the input device 10 can reproduce the operational feel of the touch switches SW1 to SW4.

In addition, the maximum sensitivity of the tactile organs of human fingers is around 250Hz. When a person is given a vibration of about 250Hz, he or she can easily perceive a clear sense of operation (click feeling). On the other hand, when a person is given a vibration of about 100Hz, he or she will perceive a soft sense of operation, and the lower the frequency becomes than 100Hz, the more difficult it is to perceive the sense of operation. In addition, people can also perceive vibrations of about 500Hz. Therefore, the frequency of the initial cycle of the superimposed vibration generated by the input device 10 is preferably 100Hz to 500Hz, and more preferably 200Hz to 400Hz.

Furthermore, in order to easily distinguish the operational feeling imparted by the superimposed vibration v12 from the vibration of the spring-mass system, it is preferred that the vibration of the spring-mass system be difficult to perceive. Therefore, the vibration state resonance frequency of the spring-mass system included in the input device 10 is preferably 100 Hz or less, more preferably 80 Hz or less. Furthermore, the frequency of the initial cycle of the superimposed vibration v12 is preferably greater than the resonance frequency of the spring-mass system.

Alternatively, the frequency of the first cycle of the superimposed vibration v12 for imparting the softest operational feeling among the operational feelings to be reproduced by the input device 10 may be equal to the resonant frequency of the spring-mass system. In this case, the softest operational feeling can be imparted by the resonant frequency of the spring-mass system.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in the present specification and the accompanying drawings, components having substantially the same functional structure are sometimes denoted by the same reference numerals to omit repeated descriptions.

The present embodiment relates to an input device having a piezoelectric actuator as an actuator. FIG6 is a perspective view showing the structure of the input device of the embodiment, FIG7 is a top view showing the structure of the input device of the embodiment, and FIG8 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the input device of the embodiment. FIG8 (a) corresponds to a cross-sectional view along the I-I line in FIG7 , and FIG8 (b) corresponds to a cross-sectional view along the II-II line in FIG7 .

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , the input device 100 of the embodiment includes: a fixed base 110; a frame 120 fixed to the edge of the fixed base 110; and a decorative panel 150 inside the frame 120. A touch panel 140 is provided on the fixed base 110 side of the decorative panel 150, and a movable base 130 is provided on the fixed base 110 side of the touch panel 140. The movable base 130 includes: a flat plate portion 131, which is wider than the touch panel 140 and the decorative panel 150 in a plan view; and a wall portion 132 extending from the edge of the flat plate portion 131 toward the fixed base 110. The fixed base 110 has a convex portion 111 in the center in a plan view, and an actuator 160 is provided on the convex portion 111. The actuator 160 is, for example, a piezoelectric actuator, and is in contact with the convex portion 111 and the flat plate portion 131. The touch panel 140 is an example of a touch panel unit, the movable base 130 is an example of a holding unit for holding the touch panel 140, and the touch panel 140 and the movable base 130 are included in an operation panel member. The operation panel member is an example of an operation unit, and the fixed base 110 is an example of a support member.

A plurality of rubber members 192 are provided between the wall 132 and the fixing base 110 to contact the wall 132 and the fixing base 110. The rubber members 192 are arranged to form at least one triangle in a plan view. For example, the rubber members 192 are arranged around the four corners of the touch panel 140 in a plan view.

A plurality of rubber members 191 in contact with the flat plate portion 131 and the frame 120 are provided between the flat plate portion 131 and the frame 120. The rubber members 191 are arranged so as to form at least one triangle in a plan view. For example, the rubber members 191 are arranged around the four corners of the touch panel 140 so as to overlap with the rubber members 192 in a plan view. The rubber members 191 and 192 are examples of elastic members.

A plurality of rubber pieces 193 are provided between the convex portion 111 and the flat plate portion 131 so as to contact the convex portion 111 and the flat plate portion 131. The rubber pieces 193 are arranged around the actuator 160 so as to form at least one triangle in a plan view. For example, the rubber pieces 193 are arranged at three locations between each of the four sides of the touch panel 140 and the actuator 160 (closer to the center of the touch panel 140 than the rubber pieces 191 and the rubber pieces 192 in a plan view).

For example, the rubber member 193 is harder than the rubber members 191 and 192, and the rubber members 191 and 192 have the same degree of hardness. The rubber members 191 and 192 are examples of first elastic members, and the rubber member 193 is an example of a second elastic member. Since the flat plate portion 131 is supported via the elastic member, the input operation surface of the touch panel 140 can be tilted.

In addition, a plurality of reflective photointerrupters 171, 172, 173, and 174 are provided on the fixed base 110. The photointerrupters 171 to 174 irradiate light to points 171A to 174A of the flat plate portion 131 of the movable base 130 located above the photointerrupters 171 to 174, and receive light reflected by the flat plate portion 131, thereby being able to detect the distance to the portion of the flat plate portion 131 irradiated with light. For example, the photointerrupters 171 to 174 are arranged inside the four corners of the touch panel 140 in a plan view. Therefore, the photointerrupters 171 to 174 form at least one triangle in a plan view. The photointerrupters 171 to 174 are examples of the first to fourth sensors (photoelectric sensors), which are examples of the detection unit, and the surface 112 of the fixed base 110 on which the photointerrupters 171 to 174 are provided is an example of a reference surface. The reference surface is separated from the operation panel member (the movable base 130, etc.). In the present embodiment, a reference plane is defined as a reference plane including the X-axis and the Y-axis, and a direction perpendicular to the reference plane is defined as a Z-axis direction (first direction).

Furthermore, a signal processing device 180 is provided on the fixed base 110. The signal processing device 180 drives the actuator 160 according to the operation of the touch panel 140 through the processing described later to provide tactile feedback to the user. The signal processing device 180 is, for example, a semiconductor chip. In the present embodiment, the signal processing device 180 is provided on the fixed base 110, but the location where the signal processing device 180 is provided is not limited, and for example, it may be provided between the touch panel 140 and the movable base 130, etc. The signal processing device 180 is an example of a control unit.

In an example of the operation of the input device 100 thus configured, when the touch panel 140 is operated, the actuator 160 vibrates in a direction perpendicular to the input operation surface of the touch panel 140 according to the operation position and the operation load. The user feels the vibration on the input operation surface, and thus can recognize how the operation performed on the input device 100 is reflected even if the display device provided on the input device 100 is not visually confirmed. For example, in the case where the input device 100 is provided on the center console for various switches of a motor vehicle, the driver can recognize how the operation performed by himself is reflected based on the vibration of the actuator 160 even if he does not move his sight to the input device 100. It should be noted that the actuator 160 is not limited to the above example, and can also be a structure that generates vibration in any direction.

Next, the basic principle of the detection process of the load applied to the touch panel 140 in this embodiment is described. In this embodiment, the equation of the plane related to the flat plate portion 131, that is, the equation of the plane including the points 171A to 174A is obtained based on the distance to the flat plate portion 131 detected by each photointerrupter 171 to 174 and the coordinates of the operation position detected by the touch panel 140, and the displacement at the operation position is obtained.

Here, the equation of the plane is explained. FIG9 is a diagram showing an arbitrary XYZ coordinate system. Assume that there are three points a ( _xa , _ya , _za ), b ( _xb , _yb , _zb ), and c ( _xc , _yc , _zc ) in the XYZ coordinate system. In this case, the components ( _x1 , _y1 , _z1 ) of the vector ac (hereinafter sometimes referred to as " _Vac ") are ( _xc - _xa , _yc - _ya , _zc - _za ), and the components ( _x2 , _y2 , _z2 ) of the vector ab (hereinafter sometimes referred to as " _Vab ") are ( _xb -xa, _{yb - ya} , _zb - _za ). Therefore, the outer product of these vectors (V _ac ×V _ab ) is (y ₁ z ₂ -z ₁ y ₂ , z ₁ x ₂ -x ₁ z ₂ , x ₁ y ₂ -y ₁ x ₂ ). This outer product is equivalent to the normal vector of the plane including point a, point b, and point c. Therefore, when (y ₁ z ₂ -z ₁ y ₂ , z ₁ x ₂ -x ₁ z ₂ , x ₁ y ₂ -y ₁ x ₂ ) is expressed as (p, q, r), the equation of the plane including point a, point b, and point c is expressed by the following formula (1).

p(xx _a )+q(yy _a )+r(zz _a )＝0···(1)

Formula (1) is a general formula, but it can be simplified by using an orthogonal coordinate system in which the X coordinate and Y coordinate of point a are 0 as an XYZ coordinate system. FIG10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship in the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. As shown in FIG10 , in the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system, it is assumed that there are four points a (0, 0, _za ), b ( _xb , 0, _zb ), c (0, _yc , _zc ), and d ( _xb , _yc , _zd ) on a plane 200. For example, the coordinates of point a, point b, and point c among these points hold the following relationship.

V _ac =(0, y _c , z _c - z _a ) =(x ₁ , y ₁ , z ₁ )

V _ab =(x _b , 0, z _b - z _a ) =(x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ )

V _ac ×V _ab =(y _c (z _{b -za} ),(z _{c -za} )x _b ,-y _c x _b )=(p,q,r)

Therefore, the equation of the plane 200 including the first point a, the second point b, and the third point c is expressed by the following equation (2).

y _c (z _{b -za} )x+(z _{c -za} )x _b yy _c x _b (zz _a )=0···(2)

Furthermore, formula (2) can be expressed as the following formula (3).

z＝(z _{b -za} )x/x _b +(z _{c -za} )y/y _c +za _··· (3)

Therefore, if the Z coordinates of three points in any plane 200 can be determined by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor, and the X coordinate and Y coordinate of the operation position in the plane 200 can be determined by the touch panel, the Z coordinate of the operation position can be determined. In addition, the displacement in the Z-axis direction at the operation position can be obtained based on the change in the Z coordinate before and after the operation.

In the present embodiment, the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the operation position of the touch panel 140 can be detected by the touch panel 140. Therefore, when there is contact at point e in FIG. 10 , the X coordinate (x) and the Y coordinate (y) of point e can be obtained from the output of the touch panel 140. In addition, if photointerrupters are arranged as the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor in a manner corresponding to point a, point b, and point c, and the X coordinate (x _b ) of point b and the Y coordinate (y _c ) of point c are obtained in advance, the distance from the flat plate portion 131 can be detected based on the output of the photointerrupter to obtain the Z coordinate ( _za , z _b , and z _c ) of each point, and the Z coordinate (z) of point e can be obtained based on equation (3).

That is, when the plane 200 of the touch panel 140 is parallel to the plane including the three photointerrupters arranged corresponding to the points a, b, and c in the initial state, the coordinates of the point e after the touch panel 140 is pressed and the flat plate portion 131 and the touch panel 140 are tilted can be obtained. Therefore, the displacement amount of the point e in the Z-axis direction before and after the pressing can be obtained. Even when the plane 200 is not parallel to the plane including the three photointerrupters in the initial state, the displacement amount of the point e in the Z-axis direction before and after the pressing can be obtained by the same calculation.

Furthermore, by using the displacement of point e in the Z-axis direction before and after the operation, it is also possible to determine whether the load applied to point e exceeds a predetermined reference value, and to control tactile feedback based on the determination result. That is, the relationship between the load applied at multiple positions in the plane 200 and the displacement in the Z-axis direction is obtained in advance, and it is determined whether the displacement in the Z-axis direction obtained by the above method exceeds a threshold value corresponding to the reference value of the load, and to control tactile feedback. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the applied load and the displacement in the Z-axis direction.

Here, it is assumed that at 9 measuring points 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208 and 209 arranged in a grid shape as shown in FIG. 11 (a), operations are performed under loads of 0 gf (0 N), 100 gf (0.98 N), 458 gf (4.5 N) and 858 gf (8.4 N) as shown in FIG. 11 (b). In addition, it is assumed that 458 gf (4.5 N) is used as a reference value, and tactile feedback is performed when a load exceeding 458 gf (4.5 N) is applied. It should be noted that since the actuator 160 and the like are provided under the movable base 130, the displacement amount varies depending on the measuring point.

When the measuring points 201 to 209 are operated, it is possible to determine whether the load exceeds the reference value based on the relationship shown in FIG11. That is, if the displacement in the Z-axis direction calculated according to formula (3) exceeds the displacement of 458 gf (4.5 N) in FIG11 (b), it can be determined that the load exceeds the reference value. For example, when the measuring point 201 is operated, 0.15 mm becomes the threshold of the displacement, and if the displacement exceeds 0.15 mm, it can be determined that the load reaches the reference value for generating tactile feedback.

In addition, when an operation is performed on a position deviating from the measuring points 201 to 209, it is possible to determine whether the load has reached the reference value using the threshold value of the displacement amount at the measuring points around it. FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 are diagrams showing an example of a method for determining the load. As shown in FIG. 12, it is assumed that the operation is performed on the point 210 inside the quadrilateral formed by the measuring points 201, 202, 204, and 205. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13 (a), between the two measuring points 202 and 205 arranged in the X-axis direction, the threshold value of the displacement amount of the point 225 having the same X coordinate as the point 210 is calculated by linear interpolation based on the threshold values of the measuring points 202 and 205. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13 (b), between the two measuring points 201 and 204 arranged in the X-axis direction, the threshold value of the displacement amount of the point 214 having the same X coordinate as the point 210 is calculated by linear interpolation based on the threshold values of the measuring points 201 and 204. As shown in FIG13( c ), the threshold value of point 210 is calculated by linear interpolation based on the threshold values of point 225 and point 214. On the other hand, the displacement amount of point 210 in the Z-axis direction can be calculated based on the above-mentioned formula (3). Therefore, by comparing them, it is possible to determine whether the load applied to point 210 at a position deviated from the measurement points 201 to 209 reaches the reference value.

Based on the basic principle of load detection processing as described above, the signal processing device 180 determines whether the load applied to the operation position of the touch panel 140 reaches a reference value for generating tactile feedback, and drives the actuator 160 to generate tactile feedback according to the result. FIG14 is a diagram showing the structure of the signal processing device 180.

The signal processing device 180 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 181 , a ROM (Read Only Memory) 182 , a RAM (Random Access Memory) 183 , and an auxiliary storage unit 184 . The CPU 181 , the ROM 182 , the RAM 183 , and the auxiliary storage unit 184 constitute a so-called computer. Each unit of the signal processing device 180 is connected to each other via a bus 185 .

The CPU 181 executes various programs (for example, a load determination program) stored in the auxiliary storage unit 184 .

ROM 182 is a nonvolatile main storage device. ROM 182 stores various programs and data required for CPU 181 to execute various programs stored in auxiliary storage unit 184. Specifically, ROM 182 stores startup programs such as BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface).

The RAM 183 is a volatile main storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), and functions as a work area that is expanded when the CPU 181 executes various programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 184 .

The auxiliary storage unit 184 is an auxiliary storage device that stores various programs executed by the CPU 181 and various data generated by the CPU 181 executing the various programs.

The signal processing device 180 has such a hardware configuration, and performs the following processing. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing performed by the signal processing device 180 .

First, the signal processing device 180 detects the touch panel 140 (step S1), and then determines whether a finger has touched the touch panel 140 (step S2). If the finger has not touched the touch panel 140, the offset of the photointerrupters 171 to 174 is canceled (step S3).

On the other hand, when it is determined that a finger has touched the touch panel 140, detection signals are acquired from the photointerrupters 171 to 174 (step S4). For example, when the output signals of the photointerrupters 171 to 174 are analog signals, the signals converted into digital signals are acquired.

Next, displacement amounts Z ₁ to Z ₄ in the Z-axis direction at the detection positions of the plate portion 131 detected by the photointerrupters 171 to 174 are calculated based on the detection signals of the photointerrupters 171 to 174 (step S5 ).

Thereafter, one triangle is determined as a representative triangle from among the multiple triangles formed by three of the four photointerrupters 171 to 174 (step S6). For example, as a representative triangle, it is preferable to use a triangle that includes the operation position of the touch panel 140 inside. That is, if point e is touched in FIG. 10 , it is preferable to use triangle acd or triangle acb. This is because the smaller the distance between the operation position and the photointerrupters 171 to 174, the higher the accuracy will be.

Next, the displacement amount Z in the Z-axis direction at the operation position of the touch panel 140 is calculated (step S7). That is, the displacement amount Z in the Z-axis direction at the operation position is calculated based on the detection signals of the three photointerrupters forming the representative triangle determined in step S6 and the X-coordinate and Y-coordinate of the operation position detected by the touch panel 140 using equation (3).

11, the relationship between the applied load and the displacement in the Z-axis direction is obtained in advance and stored in ROM 182, which is read out to calculate the threshold value (on threshold value) Zth in the Z-axis direction at the operation position (step S8).

Then, it is determined whether the displacement Z exceeds the on-threshold Zth (step S9 ). If it exceeds the on-threshold Zth, the applied load exceeds the reference value, thereby driving the actuator 160 to implement tactile feedback (step S10 ).

The input device 100 of this embodiment implements tactile feedback in this way. The photointerrupters 171 to 174 can detect the Z coordinates of the points 171A to 174A of the flat plate portion 131 with high accuracy, and the touch panel 140 can detect the X coordinate and Y coordinate of the operation position with high accuracy. Therefore, according to the above-mentioned processing, the Z coordinate of the operation position can also be detected with high accuracy. Therefore, even if the on threshold value Zth is set to a small value of several tens of μm, the on/off judgment of the tactile feedback can be performed with high accuracy.

It should be noted that it is preferred that the rubber member 193 provided around the actuator 160 is harder than the rubber member 191 and the rubber member 192 provided near the edge of the movable base 130. The rubber member 191 and the rubber member 192 support the movable base 130 between the fixed base 110 and the frame 120 to the extent that it can vibrate by the drive of the actuator 160. If the hardness of the rubber member 191 and the rubber member 192 is too high, it is difficult to transmit the vibration to the user even if the actuator 160 is driven. On the other hand, the easier it is for the movable base 130 to tilt in response to the operation, the easier it is for the displacement Z1 to Z4 in the Z-axis direction detected by the photointerrupters 171 to 174 to become larger, and the easier it is for the error to become smaller. In addition, the harder the rubber member 193 is, the greater the rebound force on the user. Therefore, the rubber member 193 is preferably harder than the rubber member 191 and the rubber member 192.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the tilt of the movable base. As shown in FIG. 16 , a rubber member 303 equivalent to the rubber member 191 and the rubber member 192 is arranged at the edge of the operation panel member 302 including the movable base 130 and the touch panel 140, and a rubber member 304 equivalent to the rubber member 193 is arranged at the center of the operation panel member 302. In this case, when the edge of the operation panel member 302 is pressed by the finger 301, the rubber member 303 near it is greatly compressed, and on the other hand, the rubber member 304 is hardly compressed. In addition, with respect to the rubber member 303 on the other side, the operation panel member 302 is lifted upward from the rubber member 303. Therefore, it is set to be near the two rubber members 303 so that the displacement of the operation panel member 302 is relatively large. On the other hand, if the hardness of the rubber member 304 is the same as the hardness of the rubber member 303, all the rubber members 303 and the rubber member 304 are compressed, so that their difference becomes smaller. Therefore, the displacement amount of the operation panel member 302 becomes relatively small in the vicinity of the two rubber pieces 303. It should be noted that in the input device 100, the actuator 160 can also function as a fulcrum of the tilt as a part of the rubber piece 304 in FIG. 16 .

In addition, in the above-mentioned process, a representative triangle is determined, the displacement at the operation position is calculated, and the judgment is made based on the displacement, but it is also possible to determine two or more representative triangles, calculate the displacement (first displacement, second displacement, etc.) for each representative triangle, and find the average value of these displacements, and make a judgment based on the average value. According to this process, a higher-precision judgment can be made.

In addition, since the photointerrupters 171 to 174 do not contact the flat plate portion 131, they do not affect the movement of the touch panel 140 accompanying the operation. A non-contact position detection sensor such as an electrostatic sensor may be used instead of the photointerrupters 171 to 174. In addition, a contact-type pressure-sensitive sensor or the like may be used as the detection unit.

Next, the operation of the signal processing device 180 in the tactile feedback (step S10) is described. As shown below, the input device 100 of this embodiment is configured to reproduce the operation feeling of the two touch switches whose vibration characteristics are shown in FIG. 4 according to the input mode. The data of the control time described later can be pre-stored in, for example, ROM 182. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the details of the processing performed by the signal processing device 180 during the tactile feedback.

The input mode depends on the purpose of the input device 100, for example. For example, when the input device 100 is provided on the central console of a motor vehicle, the input device 100 is used to perform the setting operation of the automatic driving, the operation of the air conditioning equipment, the operation of the audio equipment, or the operation of the navigation device. Here, as input modes, two input modes are provided, namely, the setting operation mode of the automatic driving and the operation mode of the air conditioning equipment. The input mode can be set according to these in-vehicle operations. In addition, the input mode can also be set according to the model of the motor vehicle. For example, the input mode can be different for a sedan type and a sports type.

The signal processing device 180 supplies the first control signal and the second control signal to the actuator 160. The first control signal is a control signal for providing an operational feeling to the touch switch SW1, and the second control signal is a control signal for providing an operational feeling to the touch switch SW2.

During tactile feedback (step S10), the signal processing device 180 first determines whether the input mode is an input mode that gives an operating sense to the touch switch SW1 (step S11). If it is an input mode that gives an operating sense to the touch switch SW1, the process proceeds to step S12. If not, the process proceeds to step S15 as an input mode that gives an operating sense to the touch switch SW2. For example, the input mode that gives an operating sense to the touch switch SW1 is an operating mode of the air conditioner, and the input mode that gives an operating sense to the touch switch SW2 is an automatic driving setting operating mode.

In step S12, the signal processing device 180 increases the control voltage applied to the actuator 160. As a result, the actuator 160 is driven, and the movable base 130, the touch panel 140, and the decorative panel 150 move in the first direction and start the first vibration.

The signal processing device 180 decreases the control voltage applied to the actuator 160 (step S14) at the second timing (step S13) formed by the time of the pre-set control time Δt101 from the first timing when the control signal is raised in step S12. As a result, the state of the actuator 160 changes to the initial state, the movable base 130, the touch panel 140 and the decorative panel 150 move in the direction opposite to the first direction, and the second vibration accompanying the state change starts. Then, the movable base 130, the touch panel 140 and the decorative panel 150 start the superimposed vibration obtained by superimposing the first vibration and the second vibration. It should be noted that the control time Δt101 is set so that the vibration time of the initial cycle of the superimposed vibration is consistent with the vibration time Δt1 (refer to (a) of Figure 4). For example, the control time Δt101 is less than 1/2 of the cycle of the first vibration. It should be noted that the second vibration is a vibration in the direction that converges the first vibration.

On the other hand, in step S15, the signal processing device 180 increases the control voltage applied to the actuator 160. As a result, the actuator 160 is driven, and the movable base 130, the touch panel 140, and the decorative panel 150 move in the first direction and start the first vibration.

The signal processing device 180 decreases the control voltage applied to the actuator 160 (step S17) at the second timing (step S16) formed by the time of the pre-set control time Δt102 from the first timing when the control signal is raised in step S15. As a result, the state of the actuator 160 changes to the initial state, the movable base 130, the touch panel 140 and the decorative panel 150 move in the direction opposite to the first direction, and the second vibration accompanying the state change starts. Then, the movable base 130, the touch panel 140 and the decorative panel 150 start the superimposed vibration formed by the superposition of the first vibration and the second vibration. It should be noted that the control time Δt102 is different from the control time Δt101, and is set so that the vibration time of the initial cycle of the superimposed vibration is consistent with the time Δt2 (refer to (b) of Figure 4). For example, the control time Δ102 is less than 1/2 of the cycle of the first vibration. In addition, the second vibration is a vibration in the direction that converges the first vibration.

The signal processing device 180 performs such an operation at the time of tactile feedback (step S10 ). Therefore, the input device 100 can provide the operator with a tactile sense that reproduces the operation feeling of the touch switch SW1 or SW2 according to the input mode.

It should be noted that in the present disclosure, the types of operational feeling given by the input device are not limited to the two in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be three or more. In other words, the control time from the first timing of starting the first vibration to the second timing of starting the second vibration may be three or more.

The actuator is not limited to a piezoelectric actuator, but may also be a magnetic actuator. For example, when a magnetic actuator is used, the first vibration may be started by starting the supply of current instead of increasing the voltage, and the second vibration may be started by stopping the supply of current instead of decreasing the voltage.

The operation unit is not limited to an operation panel member such as touch panel 140 , and may be a button having an operation surface.

The input device disclosed in the present invention is particularly suitable for being installed in the center console of a motor vehicle. The driver of the motor vehicle can confirm what the input operation he/she has performed is through the tactile feedback from the input device without taking his/her eyes away from the traveling direction.

Although the preferred embodiments and the like have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the like, and various modifications and substitutions may be made to the above-described embodiments and the like without departing from the scope described in the claims.

The present international application claims the priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-160750 filed on August 29, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Claims (20)

1. An input device, characterized in that: The input device has: Operations Department; an actuator that imparts a tactile effect to the operating portion; and a control unit that supplies a control signal to the actuator, wherein the control signal causes the operating unit to start a first vibration at a first timing and to start a second vibration at a second timing after the first timing, thereby causing the operating unit to perform a superimposed vibration obtained by superimposing the first vibration and the second vibration, The control unit changes the vibration time of the initial cycle of the superimposed vibration into two or more types by changing the control time between the first timing and the second timing into two or more types, The second timing is a timing before the first vibration initially reaches a peak value. 2. The input device according to claim 1, characterized in that The second vibration is a vibration in a direction that converges the first vibration. 3. The input device according to claim 1, characterized in that The input device has an elastic member that supports the mass of the operating portion and the actuator and forms a spring-mass system. 4. The input device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The frequency of the initial cycle of the superimposed vibration is above the resonant frequency of the spring-mass system. 5. The input device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The input device includes a detection unit that detects a pressing operation on the operation unit. The control unit supplies the control signal to the actuator in response to detection of the pressing operation by the detection unit. 6. The input device according to claim 5, characterized in that The actuator vibrates the operation portion in a direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the operation portion is pressed. 7. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The frequency of the first cycle of the superimposed vibration is greater than or equal to 100 Hz and less than or equal to 500 Hz. 8. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: One or more control times among the two or more control times is equal to or less than 1/2 of a period of the first vibration. 9. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The actuator is a piezoelectric actuator, The control unit increases a voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator to start the first vibration, and decreases the voltage to start the second vibration. 10. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The actuator is a magnetic actuator, The control unit starts supplying current to the magnetic actuator to start the first vibration, and stops supplying the current to start the second vibration. 11. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The operation unit includes an operation panel member having an input operation surface and detects coordinates of an operation position on the input operation surface. 12. The input device according to claim 11, characterized in that The control unit selects the control time according to the coordinates of the operation position. 13. The input device according to claim 11, characterized in that The input device includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor, wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor are arranged in a reference plane separated from the operation panel member and respectively detect the distance between the first sensor and the operation panel member. The control unit processes signals from the operation panel member, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor. The operation panel member can be tilted relative to the reference plane according to a load applied to the operation position. The control unit calculates a displacement amount of the operation position before and after the operation of the operation panel member based on the coordinates of the operation position in the input operation surface detected by the operation panel member and respective distances detected by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor. 14. The input device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The first sensor detects a distance to a first point of the operation panel member, the second sensor detects a distance to a second point of the operation panel member, The third sensor detects a distance to a third point of the operation panel member, The control unit specifies a plane including the first point, the second point, and the third point, and specifies coordinates within the plane corresponding to coordinates of the operation position within the input operation surface detected by the operation panel member. 15. The input device according to claim 13, characterized in that: A direction of the distance detected by the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor is a first direction perpendicular to the reference plane. 16. The input device according to claim 13, characterized in that The operation panel component comprises: a touch panel portion; and a holding portion that holds the touch panel portion, The first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor detect distances from the holding portion. 17. The input device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor are photoelectric sensors. 18. The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control unit selects the control time according to an input mode. 19. A control method for an input device having an operating unit and an actuator for imparting a tactile effect to the operating unit, The control method is characterized in that The control method includes a step of supplying a control signal to the actuator, wherein the control signal causes the operating unit to start a first vibration at a first timing and causes the operating unit to start a second vibration at a second timing after the first timing, thereby causing the operating unit to perform a superimposed vibration obtained by superimposing the first vibration and the second vibration. The control method changes the vibration time of the initial cycle of the superimposed vibration into two or more types by changing the control time between the first timing and the second timing into two or more types. The second timing is a timing before the first vibration initially reaches a peak value. 20. A storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute control of an input device having an operating unit and an actuator for imparting a tactile effect to the operating unit, The storage medium is characterized in that The program causes the computer to execute the step of supplying a control signal to the actuator, wherein the control signal causes the operating unit to start a first vibration at a first timing and to start a second vibration at a second timing after the first timing, thereby causing the operating unit to perform a superimposed vibration obtained by superimposing the first vibration and the second vibration, The program changes the vibration time of the initial cycle of the superimposed vibration into two or more types by changing the control time between the first timing and the second timing into two or more types, The second timing is a timing before the first vibration initially reaches a peak value.